DOWNTOWN SAN DIEGO  The California Republican Party faithful avoided controversy and pushed Sunday for unity as delegates wrapped up their three day state convention in downtown San Diego and eagerly began counting down to the Nov 2 election.

Several potentially sticky subjects, including a proposed resolution by the state’s more conservative members to support Arizona’s controversial immigration law, were brought up but didn’t get very far. The Arizona resolution never made it out of committee.

“I’m impressed with this body and its focus on victory this November,” said Tim Clark, a Republican strategist from Sacramento. “The fact they chose not to take action means they are focused on beating (Democratic opponent) Jerry Brown and supporting our candidates. We are going to stand together.”

Among the potentially divisive issues put on the back burner was a years-long internal battle over merging two state Young Republican organizations. Additionally, delegates voted to take no action on a request to support a November ballot measure asking voters to block the state from taking money dedicated to local transportation projects.

Kam Kuwata, a Democratic consultant who was in San Diego monitoring the convention, questioned how unified the Republicans really are and suggested it was symbolic that gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman and Senate candidate Carly Fiorina never appeared together.

"It was kind of surprising that Whitman and Fiorina disagree on so many issues," he said, specifically noting that Fiorina supported the Arizona resolution and Whitman did not.

“This party is united,” said Ron Nehring, a former Grossmont Union High School District trustee who is chairman of the California Republican Party.

Nehring said state Republicans are looking beyond the governor’s office.

“We want to have a wide, deep victory,” he told a few hundred people gathered Sunday morning at the Manchester Grand Hyatt. “We want to take over school boards, fire boards, water boards, city councils.”

Republican leaders touted their diverse slate — Congressional candidate Van Tran is Vietnamese, lieutenant governor hopeful Abel Maldonado is Latino and secretary of state candidate Damon Dunn is black — as well as their efforts to attract a more diverse membership.

Nehring pointed out the California Republican Party’s Networks page on its website that helps people “connect with Republicans who share your passions and interests.” Applicants are asked what languages they speak and what groups they identify with.

“Now is the time to make sure that we are building relationships into the African-American community, into the Latino community, into the Asian community, the Jewish community,” Nehring said. “Everywhere these communities are throughout the state of California, they are all natural constituencies for the Republican party.”

Robert Bender, an associate delegate from Los Angeles, said the convention highlight was hearing Whitman speak Friday. He said members do not agree with all of the candidates’ ideas, “but they are our candidates and we are not staying home this year.”

The former chief executive of eBay spoke the day before Fiorina, a former Hewlett-Packard executive.